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Dantius Palpatine
Dantius Palpatine was an illustrious Human male who served as the second Emperor of the Galactic Empire and one of the most powerful Dark Lords in galactic history. Born in 29 BBY on Imperial Center to the aristocratic House of Palpatine, Palpatine lived a privileged childhood in the Imperial Palace. At a young age, Palpatine met Hego Damask, a Muun businessman and family friend to the Imperial family who was also a Dark Lord. During his teenage years, he became a successful speeder racer and started collecting dark side artifacts. Under Damask's manipulation, Palpatine killed his father and became his pupil. In the wake of the political crisis, the Imperial Senate ultimately decided to have Palpatine replace his late father as the next Emperor of the Galactic Empire. A few months later, Palpatine collaborated with the courtesan Roganda Ismaren, whom was formerly in a relationship with Damask, to end the Dark Lord's life. On the night before Palpatine's first ever State of the Empire address, Ismaren plied Damask with wine while Palpatine rehearsed his speech he would soon deliver before the Senate. Palpatine then murdered Damask in his sleep with Force lightning and declared himself a Dark Lord. After murdering Damask, the young man felt a severe shift in the Force, feeling the dark side "anoint him as it's ruler". As Emperor, Palpatine effectively wielded absolute control over the entire galaxy and virtually everyone who lived within it. After taking office in 1990, the newly crowned Emperor was thrust into the spotlight as the Galactic Civil War broke out. During his tenure, the Imperial Military continued to maintain it's status as one of the most powerful military forces the galaxy. Palpatine progressively abandoned his facade of being an enlightened leader and began to rule through terror symbolized by the Death Star, a superweapon that could lay entire cities to waste. After the Empire suffered a devastating defeat in 0 BBY, in which the Alliance destroyed the Death Star, the Emperor steadily began to lose his absolute control over the galaxy. In 4 ABY, Palpatine gambled his chances in order to annihilate the Rebel Alliance once and for all, allowing Rebel spies to learn of the existence of two more Death Stars and its location near Endor, the moon of Imperial Center. As expected, the Alliance fell for the bait and dispatched its fleet to destroy the Emperor, the incomplete Death Stars and to take the Imperial capital. With the Alliance soon falling for his trap, Palpatine brought Luke Skywalker, the son of Darth Vader, before him in order to turn him over to the dark side. After goading Skywalker to give into his frustrations with thoughts of the Alliance's defeat and the death of his friends, Palpatine eagerly watched as father and son fought one another. However, Skywalker refused to submit to the dark side and spared his father, prompting Palpatine to unleash all of his rage and hatred on Skywalker. Unwilling to watch his son die from the agonizing effects of Palpatine's Force lightning, Vader tackled the astonished Emperor down the Death Star's shaft. Throughout the rest of the Galactic Civil War, the Empire experienced a sharp decline while the Alliance had reformed itself into the New Republic after taking the Imperial capital. However, Palpatine was not dead, secretly sneaking off the Death Star and making his way to the Deep Core world of Byss. In 2013, Emperor Palpatine resurfaced in the galaxy in a bid to rebuild his Empire. Biography Early Life Dantius Palpatine was born on the planet Naboo in 29 BBY, to the House of Palpatine's patriarch Cosinga and his wife Dalit Palpatine. Palpatine was born in his family's ancestral home, situated in Naboo's Lake Country, but was raised at the Imperial Palace on Coruscant with his elder brother, Cosinga, his elder sister, Cosmina, his younger sister, Delice and his younger brother, Dalibor. From an early age Palpatine identified himself as different from his peers and siblings, recognizing a great power within himself, and believing that he was born to lead like his father. Although the young heir longed to kill his father and assume his reign as Galactic Emperor, Palpatine grudgingly concealed his patricidal desires for years. Education Intelligent and highly ambitious like his father, Palpatine desired to take on an active role in politics at an early age to increase his own wealth and power. Throughout his education Palpatine attended some of the most prestigious and exclusive academies in the Galaxy, but would never remain for long, and would soon be expelled for some petty misdemeanor. Palpatine's list of offenses, while usually minor, was extensive enough that were he anyone other than the Emperor's heir, he would have been imprisoned in a correctional facility. Sure enough, whatever his son's crime, Cosinga would be there, ready and willing to use his influence and credits to make it "disappear." Having been raised to believe that money could solve anything, Palpatine would quickly dispense with traditional notions of morality, instead forging a unique code of ethics for himself, a pedestal on which he placed himself, to be raised above all others. Although he despised his father, more so than any other member of his family, the two were not without their similarities. Aside from an inherited violent streak, and a love for money, power and control, both father and son shared an insatiable passion for speeder racing. Palpatine once fondly recounted an occasion from his youth when his father had bought him a state-of-the-art, prototype speeder, more as a bribe than a gift, but one he accepted, nonetheless. Indeed, the only time Palpatine thought well of the man who raised him was when they shared a cockpit together. This was not to last however, as Palpatine would soon crash the machine, tragically killing two pedestrians in the process. As always, Cosinga bought his son a reprieve, and Palpatine himself never showed the slightest bit of remorse for the incident. Quite the opposite, in fact, if anything, the lack of punishment from the law only served to reinforce the boy's belief in his own invulnerability, and Palpatine insensitively chose this moment to announce his desire to become a professional racer. Cosinga initially banned his son from riding again, but even this feeble attempt at punishment did not last long. After many tantrums Palpatine wore his father down, who eventually relented, and Palpatine went on to race competitively, and successfully. As a young adolescent, Palpatine took a vested interest in forbidden Dark lore. Employing his family's vast wealth, the youth took to the black market, resolving to collect as many inscrutable runes and ancient texts as possible. Enraptured by the secrets revealed with each tome, Palpatine at once recognized the key to realizing his true ambition, the acquisition of absolute power. It was around this time that he met and established a long-standing friendship with Jorus C'baoth, a Dark Jedi who served the Church of the Dark Side. The two often met to discuss politics, philosophy, and the state of the Empire. Eventually, at Palpatine's request, C'baoth was sent to act as one of his personal advisors, and later C'baoth became part of his staff as Emperor. One thing they discussed was the ExGal Society, a small, dedicated group of scientists studying the possibilities of life outside the galaxy, and the idea of an excursion beyond the Galactic Rim. His family's social status provided him with high profile contacts, such as other aristocrats and government officials. One such acquaintance was his father's friend Hego Damask, who was the Muun Magister of the powerful Damask Holdings, as well as a Dark Lord who had taken on the name Darth Plagueis some time ago. Plagueis belonged to, and served as the leader of a secret society bent on galactic domination, and was the real power behind the Galactic Empire. His father introduced Palpatine to the Dark Lord at the age of fourteen. Though he was aware of Damask's reputation, the haughty Palpatine initially had little interest in conversing with the Muun. Ascension to the Throne Apprenticeship Over the next few years, Plagueis became a mentor to the young aristocrat, and learned much about his interest in politics and art. Aside from art and politics, Plagueis also learned that Palpatine had a passion for expensive landspeeders and competitive racing. By this point, his father had begun taking steps to get out of Plagueis' control, plans, which would ultimately oust Plagueis from the Imperial Inner Circle. Palpatine, motivated by pride and a desire to see himself ascend to the throne, sought to quietly undermine his father's political agenda. Although Palpatine was well aware of how he could be disinherited as a consequence for treachery, he nonetheless supplied confidential information to Bon Tapalo, who was at the time a member of the Imperial Court that his father opposed. But in aiding Tapalo, Palpatine brought himself to the attention of Plagueis. By 10 BBY, it was apparent to Plagueis that Cosinga was attempting to undermine the Dark Lord and realized that his friend had become too much of a liability. To that end, he recruited Palpatine and offered to help him replace his father as Emperor in order to advance both the interests of himself and the young heir. Palpatine accepted the offer, but only on the condition that he would be taught in the dark arts by Plagueis himself. Having already judged the young Palpatine as worthy of his teaching, Plagueis agreed and formally initiated him into the cult. Palpatine's training was focused on the honing of his Force abilities and combat skills, as well as his natural talents as a politician. During the course of Palpatine's training, Plagueis once allowed him access to a number of holocrons, items that, according to the arcane writing inscribed on their pyramidal surfaces, were recorded in the days of Dessel Bane. Cosinga Palpatine eventually learned of his eldest son's alliance with Hego Damask. Due to Damask's support for the younger Palpatine's bid for the throne, Cosinga immediately attempted to thwart any further contact between his son and the head of Damask Holdings. After Cosinga failed to coerce Damask with veiled threats, the Muun contacted Palpatine. Palpatine was enraged by the revelation of his father's attempt to interfere in his affairs, and desperately implored Damask for advice. Recognizing the potential that emanated within his young protégé, Damask took advantage of Palpatine's fear and hatred for his father, and thus insinuated that he had to do whatever it took to become Emperor. Palpatine's defining moment came when his father personally journeyed to his son's penthouse to confront his heir. During their conversation, Cosinga bluntly stated that Palpatine was to have no further contact with Hego Damask. At that point, both father and son revealed their long yet barely concealed hatred for each other. The altercation brought out their long-standing yet barely concealed hatred for each other, until Cosinga revealed to his son that he had wanted to kill him from the start. Overcome by years of repressed anger and frustration, Palpatine instinctively drew upon the power of the dark side and slaughtered his abusive father as well as his bodyguards. When the deed was done, he contacted Damask and was assured by his mentor that none would ever learn of his role in the slaughter. Damask arranged for all evidence of the crime to be purged, and for Palpatine to look innocent in the matter. The scramble for a new Emperor The sudden death of the Emperor left a power vacuum and a major choice for the Imperial Senate. The loyal Senators saw the danger of an unstable government and sought to elect a strong leader to truly clean up the corruption in the Senate. The corrupt Senators wanted stability too, if only so they could continue plundering the system, and sought a figurehead who would provide the appearance of stability and just look the other way while they fattened themselves. Cosinga Palpatine II was the choice of the loyal Senators, while Cosmina Palpatine was the choice of the corrupt Senators. Much of the back-room politicking that led to Palpatine's nomination has been lost to history. Though it is known that Plagueis arranged for the Thyrsian Sun Guard to assassinate a discreet, though pivotal, number of Senators whose votes could have endangered their scheme. Exactly which Senators were killed is not known, but they would have been the ones most likely to tip the balance of votes decisively in favor of his competition. The next week, the Senate voted for a successor. Neither Cosinga II nor Cosmina could garner enough votes to achieve an effective majority, in part because of the recent murder of certain delegates that removed some decisive votes from the equation. Rather than face a voting deadlock, the Senate eagerly embraced a third option, Dantius. Cosinga's supporters could take heart that Dantius promised to be tough on the rebels. Cosmina's supporters were encouraged by his apparent docility. Almost every faction in the Senate had become convinced that while he was incorruptible, he would work nonetheless to further their specific interests With such political weight behind him, Palpatine received the most votes by an overwhelming margin, thus becoming Emperor. He promised to reunite the disaffected among the people and restore the remembered glories of the Empire. The Murder of Darth Plagueis As was the case with Cosinga, Darth Plagueis intended to act as de-facto Emperor, ensuring Palpatine only passed laws that he approved of. In truth, Palpatine was subtly manipulating him, fooling him into thinking the implementations were his idea while Palpatine laid the groundwork for his complete and utter control of the Empire as well as the galaxy. Plagueis' usefulness had just about run out. Around this time, Palpatine met a Dark Jedi named Roganda Ismaren, who was also a courtesan in a relationship with Plagueis, and was immediately drawn to her beauty. He soon discovered that his mentor carried on an affair with yet another mistress, which was unknown to Ismaren. Both intrigued by the woman and seeing an opportunity to finally do away with the Dark Lord once and for all, the young Emperor went to the temptress and told her of Plagueis' transgressions. Palpatine then told Ismaren that she deserved to have her revenge against Plagueis, admitting that he himself wanted him dead, and promised her much power if they worked together to attain their goals. Both bitter and wanting to better herself socially, Ismaren willingly accepted the Emperor's offer, becoming his mistress and they soon hatched a plan to end the Dark Lord's life. Two weeks later they would have their chance. The night before Palpatine's first ever State of the Empire address, Damask attended the premiere of an experimental Mon Calamari piece at the Galaxies Opera House with both Ismaren and Palpatine. After the performance, they retired to Damask's penthouse in the Kaldani Spires building to celebrate Palpatine's upcoming success. There, Ismaren plied Plagueis with wine while Palpatine rehearsed his speech he would soon deliver before the Senate. Palpatine then killed Plagueis in his sleep with Force lightning and took the title of Dark Lord for himself, enjoying every moment of his mentor's agonizing death. After murdering Plagueis, the young man felt a severe shift in the Force, feeling the dark side "anoint him as it's ruler". But he also experienced a sensation of sadness and loss in the Force. Palpatine initially feared that the cause of this unease was a sign that Plagueis' spirit had somehow survived earthly destruction, and would return at any moment to exact vengeance on his treacherous apprentice. Because Plagueis was so heavily obsessed with immortality, Palpatine found it extremely ironic, if not funny, that he died the way he did. As a result, he would be on his guard, vowing to himself never to make the mistake of recklessly sleeping as Plagueis had. Galactic Civil War The Empire under Palpatine The new Emperor kept himself busy during the first years of his tenure, establishing relationships with respected public figures in key positions of government. As it grew, the list of friends included Senators both weak and powerful, military officers, members of the great organs of commerce, and members of the Church of the Dark Side. Palpatine surprised everyone as he became increasingly popular. He wrote extensively, which lead to his notes on power becoming popular texts among political and military science students, and his theories were even taught at leading universities throughout the galaxy. Many of those with whom he formed friendships would eventually have prominent positions in the Empire. Others would meet radically different fates. Palpatine also promoted his aide Sate Pestage to Grand Vizier, who was given the power to control all access to the Emperor. Palpatine treated Pestage's colleague, Kinman Doriana, in a similar fashion. Doriana had a kind of unspoken wish to be a spy, and Palpatine indulged this by assigning him to perform covert work. The ruthless Ars Dangor was also an aide to Palpatine at this time, though information about his activities is far more scarce. Dangor was eventually given a prime place among the Imperial Advisors, and Palpatine consulted with him on galactic-security issues, especially those dealing with the Rebellion. He ran much of the day-to-day affairs of the Empire, and was a powerful and charismatic public speaker. He was also responsible for all public addresses. In May of the next year, Palpatine suffered an assassination attempt when his throne was rigged with a bomb underneath, an attempt only foiled by Vader Force-pushing the Emperor out of the way and then Force-pushing the throne out before the bomb detonated. The ones responsible were the Heinsnake Cult, a cult of sorcerers who had been believed to have been long deceased. Palpatine, quickly realizing the threat posed by them to his rule, as well as to the Empire, dispatched Vader to locate the cult and wipe them out. Shortly after the attempt on his life, Palpatine passed a rumor that Darth Vader tracked down and destroyed a conclave of fifty Jedi single-handedly, greatly exaggerating the event, which only involved eight Jedi and also required the aid of the 501st. The false rumor helped keep fear running in the galaxy. Shortly after he became Emperor, Palpatine began constructions in the dangerous Deep Core on the planet Byss to turn it into a secret throne world immediately after killing Plagueis. Byss was a dark side conduit, able to give its inhabitants great power in using the Force. Along with the power of Byss, Palpatine slowly fed on the life energy of his workers, to lengthen his own life. He had the Church of the Dark Side bring a number of captured Jedi survivors to the planet in order to train them into powerful servants. Vader was ordered to select worthy pupils, and dispose of the rest. Palpatine was also responsible for the devastation of Caamas. The Emperor saw the respected Caamasi as a threat to the Empire. A group of Bothan infiltrators were responsible for sabotaging Caamas's shield generators, leaving the planet vulnerable to Imperial orbital bombardment. The once beautiful world was devastated during this attack, turned into a poisoned wasteland. The peaceful Caamasi were dispersed throughout the galaxy.Star Wars: Specter of the Past An example is made Palpatine was equally thorough in dealing with traitorous Senators who were off Coruscant at the time, or had escaped. One was Senator Canna Omonda, Mon Mothma's successor as representative from Chandrila. Many Senators had hoped Omonda would intercede for them. But Omonda, seeing no point, did not try to gain an audience, instead becoming one of the few Senators, perhaps the only one, to leave Coruscant before the noose tightened. But she made a parting shot in her remarks to the press as she boarded a transport bound for Chandrila: Omonda left the capital, but Palpatine could not let her remain at large, so he therefore dispatched an "honor escort" of three Imperial Star Destroyers to Chandrila, to bring her back to Coruscant for a "short interview" with High Inquisitor Halmere. The Chandrilans took the hint that the "escort" would devastate Chandrila if they refused to release her, and so Omonda was turned over to the Inquisitorius. Omonda soon confessed to acts of treason, giving her interrogators the names of people she had passed classified information to. The night of the confession, in his before-dinner remarks at the Palace, Palpatine again donned his well-worn mask of firm benevolence for the sake of the press. Omonda's public execution was scheduled as part of the traditional New Year Fete Week celebrations (1 ABY), but this was canceled in light of "security concerns." No specific reason was given, but the government likely feared that Rebels or their sympathizers might disrupt the event. Even without the executions, the awesome power of the Empire was displayed to full effect. The traditional parade passed before the Palatial Balcony, where Palpatine often appeared, flanked by Ismaren, Vader and numerous lieutenants. Since Palpatine was not on the balcony throughout the entire parade, it is possible that he went to visit her before her death or to watch her die.Star Wars Adventure Journal 5 Palpatine was also heard remarking that if sending up two traitors in a row was how Chandrila rewarded him for his favor, it might benefit from more direct supervision.Star Wars Adventure Journal 4 Chandrila duly received its direct supervision, and its legal government soon vanished. At some point, with the growing rebellion, Palpatine had one of his ranking advisors, Ars Dangor, issue a speech regarding dealing with the Rebel Alliance which was intended to be issued specifically to the various moffs and governors, making clear that they should adopt a policy of terror. The speech ended up leaked by Rebel sympathizers. The dissolution of the Senate From the beginning of his reign, Palpatine sought to remove the Senate. The first reason was symbolic, as he could not leave a reminder of the Republic lying about. The second was political, as some Senators still opposed him. His obedient majority tried keeping them in check, but they understood they were only there to prop up the illusion of democracy. He dealt with the outspoken ones when they appeared, but others sprouted in their place. Worse, some of them, he suspected, were providing the Rebels with funds, information, and resources.Rebellion Era Sourcebook He had waited until the time was right, all the while sapping their power. Finally, in the eleventh month of the year, with the governmental infrastructure in place (the governors, Moffs, and Grand Moffs), with the military, as always, obeying him without question, and with the Death Star, the Tarkin Doctrine's ultimate tool, finally complete and tested, he was ready. Warrants were issued for the arrest of all suspected Rebels. Stormtroopers burst into the Senate, and hundreds were detained. Some, those learned to have had Rebel affiliations, were never seen again. The following morning, the remaining Senators, unaware of what had happened, came to work only to find themselves locked out of their offices and chambers. Some tried to appeal to Palpatine directly, but were told that their diplomatic access to the Palace had been suspended "for the duration of the emergency." Many of them had been present when the Senate gave power to him. They too were arrested and interrogated. Many who were released left Coruscant for their homeworlds, and a peaceful—and isolated—retirement. The small number of Senators that remained, the ones who had most voraciously upheld the party line, were generously rewarded with their lives and new positions. Many of them donned ornate jeweled robes and joined the swelling ranks of Imperial advisors. Palpatine had killed what was left of the Constitution. A new pyramidal structure was imposed, with himself at its summit, then the Grand Moffs who ruled Oversectors, then the Moffs who ruled sectors, then the governors of individual worlds. All of them owed their careers to the Emperor and gave him their allegiance. But even here, he had extra guarantees. He had long since inserted COMPNOR into every level of the bureaucracy, to insure that each one followed his dictates. For all the power of the Moffs and Grand Moffs, COMPNOR stood behind them, more powerful still. And behind them all stood the Death Star, enforcing his will at gunpoint. He did not know, or did not care, that in the end, it would make the Rebellion even more emboldened than before. The subjection of Alderaan and loss at Yavin In the absence of the Senate, Palpatine had established an environment where even his subordinates were capable of terrible atrocities against sentients. From the very beginning of its design, it was intended that the Death Star be capable of destroying entire planets. But most Imperial strategists were certain that the threat alone would be enough to keep most worlds in line. Tarkin felt differently, as he saw it, the Rebels were growing bolder, and only a very public demonstration of the battlestation's power against a Rebel target would succeed in giving them pause. His argument convinced Palpatine. The Emperor approved in advance the destruction of a planet's city, and thereby the mass murder of its entire population. He knew it would be used on an inhabited world. But he did not know in advance that it was to be Alderaan. Tarkin alone made this decision, facing down even Vader to do so. If Palpatine knew about Tarkin's intent from that point onward, it would only be because Vader made a report to him after the decision was made, but before the station entered the Alderaan system and carried out its mission. Palpatine's private feelings on the tragedy were a mystery, but publicly he announced that he was saddened by the loss of such a noble city, and adding that had Alderaan entrusted itself to Imperial protection, it would still be thriving. In other words, the destruction of Aldera might not have been necessary had Bail Organa simply bowed under as he was supposed to. It was later announced by Palpatine's proxies that he himself had ordered the destruction of Aldera after the Empire had obtained "irrefutable evidence" that they had supposedly been creating bioweapons. The possibility that some of these bioweapons had been taken off-world to Rebel cells was dangled in front of the compliant press, to keep the terrified Core Worlds in line and justify a permanent state of emergency. As a result, the Empire put more time and resources than ever before into crushing the Rebellion, flushing out Rebel strongholds throughout the galaxy and conquering worlds that had allied themselves with the Alliance. Tarkin, with his Doctrine, had promulgated a fear-driven principle of governance. But shortly after the destruction of Alderaan, the Death Star itself was destroyed by the Rebel Alliance in the Battle of Yavin. Palpatine ordered the creation of two more Death Star's near Imperial Center's moon Endor, ironically shortly before Luke Skywalker had destroyed the first Death Star. Grand Moff Tarkin, who was aboard the battle station at the time and refused to evacuate, was killed in the station's destruction. But while this was a great loss for the Empire, Palpatine nonetheless found ways to turn the situation to his advantage. Even so, he punished Darth Vader for this failure by severing his right hand. He also suspected that Vader was searching for the force-sensitive pilot in order to betray him. The Emperor deduced the name of the pilot and dropped a hint to Vader about the pilot's identity to indicate his knowledge of his apprentice's intentions. In various points of the war, Palpatine was briefed by Darth Vader on the progress of their fights against the Rebellion. In particular, Palpatine expressed some disappointment at the setback to the Blockade of Yavin, although Vader assured him that it was only temporary. Shortly thereafter, Palpatine also ordered for an attack on Ralltiir after it became apparent that the scientists on the planet were creating weapons for the rebellion. In spite of one of his Imperial officers, Tycho Celchu's defection to the Rebel Alliance, and thus potentially supplied them with valuable information, Palpatine was not concerned about this, as he was fully confident that Ralltiir being fully blockaded by the Imperial Navy would be more than enough to prevent the Rebel Alliance from saving the scientists. Others would have to answer for their incompetence, most notably the Death Star's principal engineer, Bevel Lemelisk. Upon hearing of the Yavin fiasco, Lemelisk, correctly fearing for his life, went into hiding. It did not take long for Imperial Intelligence to track the engineer to his remote retreat on Hefi, and "summon" him to an audience with his Emperor. When he entered Palpatine's audience chamber, he made the tragic mistake of trying to bluff his way through, believing that Palpatine did not know what had really happened. The Emperor set him straight at once. Palpatine used the Force to trap Lemelisk within a wire-mesh cage, and then released into the cage a swarm of winged insects, piranha beetles he had long ago "rescued" from Yavin 4. Palpatine was greatly amused as the insects made shreds of his engineer. After the man's death, Lemelisk was slowly lowered into a vat of molten copper which burned what was left of his corpse away a centimeter at a time. When Sate Pestage felt bold enough to ask why copper, Palpatine simply told him that that was what the smelter had used that day. Personality and traits Dantius Palpatine was considered by some to be extremely evil. Palpatine himself believed that he was the embodiment of darkness and the living incarnation of the dark side of the Force. From very young, his only goal was nothing less than the acquisition of absolute power. In this personal quest, he was also patient, vastly intelligent, and an incredible actor able to keep up the facade of good intentions for some time, with his cheery demeanor, and trademark smile. He was instinctively treacherous, betraying and killing numerous beings who apparently trusted him, such as Darth Plagueis, Jorus C'baoth and nearly, Darth Vader. Palpatine was a manipulative and seductive megalomaniac, easily bending others to his will in his quest for supremacy and ultimate power. A narcissist, Palpatine identified his own essence with the very blackness of space, even going so far as to declare himself the ultimate personification of the dark side. Palpatine also displayed traits of psychopathy, including extreme sadism and cruelty, taking considerable pleasure in the suffering and deaths of others. In fact, he was known to cultivate life-forms for the sole purpose of eventually killing them. His inherent sadism also had its roots with his father, Cosinga Palpatine, who was known to have an interest in violence, one of the few things he had in common with him. Enough of his sociopathic nature had been unveiled to the subjects of the Empire that several members of the Imperial hierarchy viewed him as having delusions of grandeur. Some of his officers such as Stormtrooper Corps Commander Nahdonnis Praji dismissed these claims as figures of speech, although in Praji's case, he reassessed his original views on the matter when meeting the Emperor face-to-face in 10 ABY. He was also noted for his lack of forgiveness. Darth Vader, who was known for murdering the officers who had failed him in cold blood, considered Palpatine to be even less clement than himself. Even as a child, Palpatine was demonstrated to be manipulative, sociopathic, and self-centered. This was especially evident by his frequent breaking of various rules and social norms, knowing full well that his father, whom he hated, would simply pay off the authorities to make the problem disappear, and his declaration upon causing an accident that killed two pedestrians while using a speeder that he'd like to become a professional racer. Although possessed of an insatiable hunger for power, he honestly believed that his form of government would be best for the galaxy, and in time came to regard himself as something of a savior. He also viewed all sentient beings bereft of the Force as inferiors, likening them to children floundering about aimlessly, ignorant of their own shortcomings and incapable of fulfilling their aspirations. Palpatine considered the wise and powerful, specifically Force-sensitives, as responsible for providing guidance for such lesser entities in order to allow for a thriving civilization. Seeing no one wiser nor more powerful than himself, Palpatine deemed only himself as worthy of realizing this philosophy, and thus endeavored to control the galaxy forever. Palpatine was also a prolific author. His notes on political and military sciences became popular texts, and his theories on these subjects were taught at universities throughout the galaxy. In fact, Palpatine began devoting some effort towards writing a series of books about dark lore and histories, the Dark Side Compendium. One of his texts in particular, the Principles of Power, was noted as one of the Emperor's notable achievements, and was mandatory reading for Imperial Moffs at the height of the Empire. Palpatine was a known patron of the arts, attending the opera whenever able and surrounding himself with unique statuary and decorative antiques. Many of these statues served as convenient hiding places to stash Palpatine's various dark side artifacts and lightsabers. Palpatine also held some hatred and disgust for the Wookiee holiday Life Day, especially due to the Rebel Alliance being involved. He once had a publicist relay to Hol't Deb Orah of Corellia Times "that he'll give those celebrating the holiday his official "Bah, humbug!", even though he refuses to acknowledge the efforts made by the Rebels". Despite his exceptional skills in lightsaber combat and his mastery of the dark side, Palpatine was no less susceptible to fear than any other. For example, Palpatine chose to murder his Master, Darth Plagueis in his sleep, rather than confront him directly. Luke Skywalker also detected the same traces of fear that resided with Palpatine. Romantic Interests Roganda Ismaren Ysanne Isard Powers and Abilities Trained by Darth Plagueis, Dantius Palpatine was one of the most powerful Dark Lords in history, firmly believing himself to be the most powerful ever. Lightsaber Training Dantius Palpatine was incredibly skilled in lightsaber combat, and one of the greatest duelists of all time. A Swordmaster, Palpatine managed to fight and defeat Luke Skywalker in a one-on-one lightsaber duel on Byss. He was ambidextrous and could change his fighting style at a whim, keeping his opponents unsure of what his next move would be. A master of every form of lightsaber combat and stances, Palpatine drew his opponents in, fighting less than his true capability, and then striking the fatal blow when his opponents thought they had the better of him. When fighting at full strength, the Dark Lord was a terrifying opponent. The Emperor used a combination of all forms and had an extremely aggressive dueling style, which allowed him to defeat experienced Jedi with very little effort. Force Powers In addition to his lightsaber combat skills, Palpatine was considered to be one of the greatest Force users of all time, perceived in the Force by Jard Dooku, as a "black hole of the dark side." Palpatine was a master of Force lightning and was known to use this both as a lethal attack, and as a way of torturing his enemies. In addition, he could use this power to light up the surface of a an entire planet. He was also extremely skilled with telekinesis, using this ability with incredible dexterity and precision. Likewise, he was skilled enough with telekinesis that he was also able to remove Luke Skywalker's restraints while barely even lifting his finger when meeting face to face on the Death Star. Palpatine also possessed the power of Force Flight, implementing it on occasion. Palpatine was also the only known being capable of producing a Force storm of his own power, a dark side technique which he himself discovered. Among the Emperor's powers was the ability to channel the collective life essences of billions to sustain himself and his Dark Side Adepts, his victims would live in a dream-like state while his own power grew. The entire population of Byss lived under this spell until much of the main continent's destruction by the Galaxy Gun. It was mentioned by Luke Skywalker that the Emperor's very voice had a hypnotic lull to it whenever he was outwardly projecting his dark side Force powers. Palpatine was highly adept at foreseeing the future, often utilizing the power to see his plots to fruition, ensuring that all would proceed as he had envisioned. Furthermore, the Dark Lord was a master of Force stealth and also possessed knowledge of Dark magic, allowing him to use arcane rituals to detect poisons and drugs in food and drink. Appearances *''Star Wars: A New Hope'' *''Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back'' *''Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire'' *''Star Wars: Return of the Jedi'' }} Notes and references Category:Males Category:Humans Category:Inhabitants of Coruscant Category:Emperors Category:Nobility Category:Authors Category:House of Palpatine Category:Force-sensitives Category:Dark Lords Category:Inhabitants of Byss Category:Inhabitants of Bastion Category:Emperors of the Galactic Empire